


V is for Variety Show

by kuriadalmatia



Series: Alphabet Meme Series [4]
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Alphabet Meme, Established Relationship, M/M, Physical Abuse, Racism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-16
Updated: 2012-02-16
Packaged: 2017-10-31 06:27:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/340961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kuriadalmatia/pseuds/kuriadalmatia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The story behind the Polaroid photo of a 12-year-old Aaron dressed in a top hat and tails</p>
            </blockquote>





	V is for Variety Show

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt by vanessasquest
> 
> Rating/Warnings: R (profanity, racism). I can't write anything cheerful, it seems.
> 
> Characters/Pairing: Hotch/Reid
> 
> ARCHIVING: my LJ, DW, FFNet and AO3 ... anyone else? Please ask first.
> 
> COMMENTS: Part of the a "The Great A-Z Multifandom Drabbling Meme." Unbetaed.
> 
> Feedback always welcome.
> 
> DISCLAIMER: The Mark Gordon Company, ABC Studios and CBS Paramount Network Television own Criminal Minds. Salut! I just took them out to play and I promise put them back when I'm done. I'm not making any profit just trying to get these images out of my head.

/***/

One of the many things that surprised Spencer was the lack of candid photos from Aaron's childhood. The lone album Spencer located while organizing the bookshelf only had studio or school portraits of Aaron from birth until high school. It was disheartening, especially when Spencer could easily decipher the expressions on Aaron's young face.

From age six to thirteen, Aaron didn't smile and on a few of the photos, the bruises hadn't quite faded.

Damn.

It was something Aaron rarely mentioned, not that Spencer blamed him. After all, Spencer was never too keen on explaining the nuances of his mother's 'bad', 'really bad', and 'extremely bad' days and just how he was able to find his mother's illness from almost everyone for eight years.

Spencer was about to put the album back on the shelf when a Polaroid photo dropped from the book. Curious, because he hadn't seen it when he paged through the album, Spencer picked it up and examined it.

Aaron looked to be about twelve and dressed in tuxedo, complete with top hat and cane.

"Puttin' on the Ritz," came the soft voice from behind.

Spencer jumped, nearly dropping the photo, as he turned to face his lover. "I was just…"

But Aaron had the photo in his hand, a half-smile on his face. "It was for the school's variety show. We all had to perform a two-minute act. We could do it in groups, but…" He scowled a little, and Spencer knew that for whatever reason, twelve-year-old Aaron Hotchner was forced to do it alone. "I had just seen _Young Frankenstein_. I didn't understand half the humor in it, but there's this once scene where the Monster sings 'Puttin' on the Ritz'."

Spencer's eyes widened. "You…did the Mel Brooks' version?"

"I got a standing ovation," Aaron continued, as if he didn't hear the question. There was no pride in his voice, no warmth at all. "I won first place for my grade." The dullness to his tone was chilling.

Spencer knew better than to offer congratulations. Instead, he took the photo from Aaron's hand and tucked it back into the album. He wanted to say, _You don't have to explain_ , because that's what they did for one another.

Then, Aaron choked out, "I learned that night that Mel Brooks is Jewish and that my father hated Jews."

And all Spencer could do was embrace his lover, because there was nothing really to say.

/***/

**Author's Note:**

> There is a bit of irony here, specifically that the surname Hotchner had Jewish origins.


End file.
